


Mellieha Bay

by Heavydirtys0ul



Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: I'm not saying that I passed out and half dreamt, I've only just started season 2, Other, and babey, and then half hallucinated this, but if I did this is the product you get from it, but if anything happens to Martin I will lose my shit, good monster is good, look - Freeform, second chapter is more story-like, this reads like a transcript in the first chapter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-16
Updated: 2019-12-16
Packaged: 2021-02-24 16:47:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21821176
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Heavydirtys0ul/pseuds/Heavydirtys0ul
Summary: "Statement of Carlos Ardion, regarding his strange experience of a water creature, whilst visiting family in Mellieha Bay, Malta,"
Kudos: 4





	Mellieha Bay

"Statement of Carlos Ardion, regarding his experience during a family visit to Malta, original statement given the 8th of October 2018, audio recording by Jonathan Simms, head archivist of the Magnus Institute, London, statement begins: 

'You know, I never thought I would end up here of all places, for the most part I was unaware of it's existence and some part of me wishes that was still the case. To know there is something more than me and more than us and that it exists _so_ tangibly...it is terrifying. I should probably start from the beginning but some part of me isn't sure I know when or where that was, at least not the very beginning.

My family is Maltese, on my mother's side, and ever since I was young we'd travel to Malta for the Summer holidays and spend it with my uncle; as I got older of course I was no longer obligated to go but there is something about the place that I can never quite leave alone; and it's not the hot weather, in fact I can barely stand hot weather and when I choose my own holidays I tend to go to cooler places like the Netherlands. The Mediterranean is beautiful but something that causes suffering when you're a pre-transition trans man wearing an item of clothing made to suffocate your chest. 

Nevertheless, I went to Malta, to see my family and because I missed my home away from home. It was a Tuesday and extremely hot as expected for mid-July in a country sitting right next to the equator. I went for a wander by myself, the plan had been to walk from Mellieha Bay to Armier Bay, after all one doesn't really think of the former to be a perfect place for swimming and such, but the water simply looked so nice so I sat by the water's edge for a little while and put my feet in to cool down. Malta is not a big country and you can get most places by bus or by foot, so I had been walking for some time by this point, a rest was well deserved I felt.

I want to clarify I'm not here because I'm angry or upset, or even perturbed, I mean yes it was a shock to find out that things other than us exist...but I am not afraid of what I saw, what I kept seeing for days afterwards although I am sure your institute most certainly would argue there are other things that I should be afraid of. 

I felt something brush against my leg, the water is quite shallow so I looked down expecting to see some seaweed or some long moss that had gotten a little astray. What I saw mostly, was nothing; no rocks, no moss, just...black. I brought my feet out of the water having expected to find ink on it, it's not exactly uncommon for a small octopus to end up too close to shore, I've witnessed it twice in my life and mostly felt bad for the poor creatures because they most certainly ended up being someone's meal, but there was nothing on my feet. I crossed my legs and peered down at the water and...well it happened so fast.

I saw the face first, and then movement like...well quite like the waves themselves but much faster. For some reason I didn't _feel_ afraid, not even then. A little startled as though I was looking at a rat; but not afraid. I did the only thing I could think of doing, I waved. And a long, thin hand extended from beneath the waves surface...and waved back. The sound it made, like a giggle but gurgled by the water as it drew itself out and rested against the rocks. I realised as it did so that the black was in fact it's hair. 

If there's any indication something is native to Malta it's how thick the hair is, and this one was seriously in need of a haircut. I know, I know, I'm encountering life unknown to man for the first time and my first thought is 'you need a hair cut' I don't know what it says about shock being a powerful drug, or at least what it says about me as a person, but that was the first thought I had.

It didn't seem malicious. It's teeth were incredibly sharp but so are a sharks and for the most part they're completely safe to be near as long as you're not an idiot. It leaned itself against the rocks, arms folded under chest that appeared to be a little like human skin but...blueish and also a little thicker, like a dolphin; it peered up at me in a way that I can recognise, having over seven young nephews and nieces, as curiosity. It blinked it's strange and yellowish eyes and then opened it's mouth, making a sort fo gurgling sound. I told it I didn't understand, pointing to myself and then shaking my head, hoping it understood some level of human communication.

It didn't. 

I sighed a little as it continued to try and communicate in strange gurgles and noises, and despite the fact I could not understand what it was saying I still found it amusing to do so. The sort of way you listen to a baby talk because you know they enjoy being heard, I just shook my head and smiled, and let it say whatever it was saying. This thing didn't look Human, and not because of the sharp teeth and overgrown blue-tinted nails, or even the webs between it's fingers; it leans back and from underneath the cloak of black hair, came another pair of arms. I have to admit the sight jolted me a little, but I don't think is owed it. After all this creature has been quite patient with my incomprehension of it's language and is otherwise a very hospitable thing. I didn't want it to feel threatened.

It leaned back then, as though swimming away, but I realised it was only pushing away from the rocks. It hovers near the drop, a dark blue tail splashing against the current for it to sit still. I understood that it was waiting but I am not much of a swimmer, I generally hate being even remotely without a good layer of clothes on, but it's not like I could tell it no. I mean, how often does something like this occur? So...I got down to my swimming trunks and my swimming binder, and I just got in. Honestly I'm told I have the self preservation instincts of a snail so this isn't as much as a surprise to me as it will be for you.

It let out a little screech, smiling. I'm glad that smiles transcend language and even species, and then, like a child it...splashed me. I think it was mocking me, used to seeing humans on land it must think I don't like the water. I splashed it back.

It's such a strange thing, to find out other things exist unknown to man, either that or it's community secret that no-one will inform the government or scientists of, and I could understand why. Science is wonderful but often cruel, and politicians that can't even stand the sight of someone different to them are even crueller. But to find it out is one thing, to play with it is another. It didn't speak my language and I didn't speak it's, but here we were splashing each other like children. 

Eventually, of course, I had to leave. It seemed upset, and tried to stop me from getting out of the water. For a moment I thought it was going to drown me, the way it was holding on so tight but then I realised...it was giving me a hug. I sat back against the rock and hugged it back, and then pointed to the sky. The sun was beginning to set by this time, and whilst Maltese people are more lively at night, I'm used to English days and nights and was getting tired. I pointed to the setting sun, and then at the other side of the sky, before at them, repeating "When the sun is there, I will see you again," in Maltese because if they understand any human language it's unlikely to be English. They seemed to understand some of what I was saying. After all, I am not likely to be the first human it has observed or interacted with. 

It let me go. 

I went back the next day. I sat the rocks, and it came to see me. I'd brought a ball too, wondering if it would like to play and I was very right. I threw it into the water and they happily swam back to it, throwing it back. Eventually I switched it up for a frisbee, and we played for hours. 

This continued for a week. Then I told it my name. Well, I tried, I pointed to myself and said "Carlos," but the closest they got was "Car," and we just left it at that. I point to it, and it made a gurgling noise that I repeated and they seemed happy with that. One day I even touched it's hair, I talked to them and although I know they couldn't understand what I was saying, they sat patiently on the rocks and listened whilst I combed and braided it's hair. It was a challenge I'll tell you that. Without it's hair in it's eyes, it seemed a little more wide-eyed, looking around with surprise. I realised during the braiding process that it has gills that they seem able to close on land, and the back of it's ears were webbed and thin, veiny even. 

Then, I came back and it didn't come. 

I sat at the rocks for hours, but it didn't return. I wandered to the nearest bar and worked up the courage in a stumbling edition of Maltese if there were any creatures that weren't normal in Mellieha Bay. The bartender laughed a little and looked around before giving a small wink "Of course not," But his smile said something else. I wasn't getting much out of him it would appear, so I wandered back to the rocks and simply stood, waiting. I even got in the water at one point but...nothing, no one came. I couldn't find it. The next day was the same result. I brought sandwiches and sat until the sun set in the sky. I was starting to wonder if this had just been a week long hallucination and maybe the heat had gotten to me. 

But I felt fine.

Except the unbearable sadness of losing a friend with no understanding how or why. I wandered back home to my uncle's house, and he asked why I looked so sad. So I told him, I told him about Mellieha Bay, I told him what I saw there and he hesitated for a moment before muttering "Again?" I asked him what he meant and he sat me down and told me the story of the creature. That for the most part no one talks about it, not because they are afraid of it, but afraid for it. "All the stories of sirens and mer-people, if anyone with a particularly bloodthirsty intent got wind of it, they would kill it on sight, so we don't speak of it," He makes me a glass of ice water and shakes his head "We tried to get it to leave, to go deeper into the sea where it was safe, but the kids found it hilarious, and would not stop feeding it and playing with it, eventually it leaves for months or weeks, perhaps migration we don't really know as it doesn't speak much of Maltese or English for that matter, it knows 'food' and 'play' as far as I could tell," 

"You've seen it too?" I had asked and he nodded. 

"But keep your mouth shut, do not tell anyone about this creature, as far as we can tell it means no harm and I would hate to see harm come to it because it's a little...weird," I had agreed. But keeping something like that a secret is hard. So I'm here, telling you, because I feel like if anyone is going to understand then it's an institution for the weird and paranormal, I know this isn't exactly ghosts or strange monsters but...well I didn't have anyone else to believe me. I trust that you keep this information confidential, I don't want any harm to come to it. Please.

Statement ends,"


End file.
